Improvement in grain separators



J. KEFER. Grain Separat or.

Patented May 17, 1864.

772372489665 6M fiw N. PETERS. Pheln Lilhogmy-hor. Wnshinglnn, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEicE.

JOHN KEFER, or HAMILTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO OWENS, LAKE, over,

a 00., OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,820, dated May 17, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN KEFER, of Harm ilton,in the county of Butler and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grain-Separators; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull and exact descriptien of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the separating apparatus of a thrashing-machine with my improvement applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the front part of the shaking shoe detached from the frame.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This improvement relates to overblast fanmills as used in grain-thrashin g machines. It is found by experience that these fans as ordinarily constructed have a tendency to produce a reaction or eddy of wind at the front of the shoe. This is owing to the necessity of making the bottom of the shoe in a slanting direction toward the bottom of the fan in order that the grain falling through the riddles may roll down into the grain or dis charge spout. The effect is to cause the wind, as it strikes this slanting bottom, to loose its force, and,'to some extent, be cariied back by the action of the wings into the drum of the fan, and also to carry with it some particle of chaff and grain, and is found to seriously interfere with the perfect cleaning and discharge of the grain. To obviate this I place in the shoe, at a point below the riddles, at the front end of the shoe, a chute-board or deflector, one edge of which comes as close to the out edge of the fan-wings as possible without touching them. The face of this board inclines downward in a contrary direction from the bottom of the shoe, and at such an angle as is found most effective in giving proper direction and force to the wind. The said board is pivoted at the edge next to the fan, and made adjustable at the other edge, so as to be varied in its angle of inclination as may be needful.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A A A represent different parts of the stationary frame.

B is a drum within which an overblast-fan, O, is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow.

D represents a shaking shoe suspended by rods E E from the main frame, so that it may receive a reciprocating motion in any customary or suitable manner. The said shoe may carry a feed-board, F, riddle G, inclined bottom H, adjustable tail-board I, and tailingspout J of common construction.

K is a chute board or plate extending completely across the shoe from side to side, and pivoted thereto by its rear edge k.

L L are ears projecting from the frontedge of the board K, and secured to the sides of the shoe by clamping-screws l l, by which means the said board may be supported and held at any desired angle of inclination in respect to the inclined bottom H of the shoe as may be found best adapted to accomplish the object desired.

The purpose of the board K is to prevent the eddy or reaction of air which is commonly produced by the overblast fan, in consequence of the backward inclination of the bottom H of the shoe. By the use of a board, K, inclined in a direction opposite to the inclination of the bottom of the shoe, this eddy is effectually overcome.

The effect of this improx'ement is to arrest the current of wind that would, to some extent, follow the direction of the fan-wings, (and be thrown to the bottom of the shoe and there loose its force and be carried back into the drum of the fan,) and cause it to act with its full effective force upon the riddles and out at the end of the shoe. By this arrangement all the wind drawn in by the fan has 'its full, proper, and effective force; consequently less speed is required in the fan, and more perfect work is done in its operation.

It is found that the overblast'fan is preferable to the underblast, because it acts on the chaff and other light refuse before it touches the riddle, and thereby relieves the meshes of the riddle of a large portion-that would otherwise clog it. The importance of the present invention consists in obviating the difficulty which exists in the use of the overblast-fan, and thus admitting of its advantageous use.

I am aware that deflecting-boards have before been applied to both the shaking shoe chute and deflecting board K, pivoted at is within the shaking shoe, the ears L L, screws Z l, riddle Gr, inclined bottom H, and overblastfan 0, all constructed and arranged to operate in the manner and for the purposes herein specified.

In testimony of which invention 1 hereunto set my hand.

JOHN KEFER.

Witnesses:

EZRA POTTER, ISRAEL WILLIAMS. 

